International Partnership Creating Biodiversity Database
Agricultural gene banks' stores may be getting their own centralized search engine. DivSeek is an international initiative that is working to use big data in order to catalog these gene banks’ physical and genetic information and make it available online. The initiative hopes to enhance the productivity and sustainability of global crops by giving breeders and researchers access to information currently out of reach for most of the population.
 
Change 100 Businesses, and the World’s Food System Will Change with Them
Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund points out that it’s almost impossible to transform the behavior of the world’s 7.2 billion eaters, or its 1.5 billion farmers, in any reasonable amount of time. But between the farmers and eaters stand just a few big middlemen: Less than 500 companies handle 70 percent of ecologically significant commodities. Change just 100 businesses, and the world changes with them.
 
How 5 Creative Young People Are Addressing Youth Employment in Africa
African leaders have described Africa’s youth employment challenge as a “ticking time bomb.” But social entrepreneurs under the age of 30 are redefining employment in Africa. Eric Kaduru is helping thousands of out-of-school girls turn small tracts of unused land into money-making passion fruit farms, launching their own small-scale agribusiness.
 
Nutrient-Enriched Desalinated Water More Feasible for Agriculture
Scientists say adding nutrients to desalinated water could make the water more financially attractive to farmers. Researchers found cost to be the main constraint limiting desalination for agriculture. Any desalinated water needs to improve farming efficiencies, or come with something extra to make it more cost-effective, like adding feedwater and nutrients to improve crop production.